Kisaragi
Myrmidon
Posts: 66
Affinity: Thunder
Profile: Kisaragi
OoC Alias: Nayru
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Post by Kisaragi on May 28, 2017 22:23:30 GMT -6
The stubborn idiot inside Kisaragi was displeased that Mizuyuki beat her to the fight. The rest of her, the bits that recognized she was actually kinda beat up and tiring quickly after the drawn out brawl with the canine killer, was... okay with this turn of events. She wasn't dead or seriously injured, just shaken and a bit battered, but as father had reminded her so many times, when playing a game of inches, even the tiniest miscalculation, the slightest error in judgement, could easily prove fatal.
And as she watched Mizuyuki fight, she... realized that he was further ahead than she had realized. His skill level was far beyond her own, almost in another world. Every movement planned, practiced; the results decided before they were ever tested. She had felt like a pretty big badass after that fight with the Mauthe Doog, but even then she had needed his help to take the ugly mug down - and here he was just casually destroying this fool as though it were little more than a sadistic game of watching the Lycian merc wreck himself against a real swordsman. Little uh, little confidence crushing there. But at the same time, it was somehting else to look forward to. Up to, as well, not that she would even admit that to herself much less to him, but it was a similar deal to her dad, to Veigue, and now Mizuyuki. Having worked as hard as she did to get anywhere, Kisaragi couldn't help but respect real strength when she saw it.
-Didn't mean she had to feel anything for the Lycian murderer, though. More of a monster than his pets. As Mizuyuki finished his bloody work and left the injured merc stumbling towards her, she drew her own blade from its sheath, her expression grim and the smol Sacaen's jaw set firmly as she stalked towards him, watching the man bring his blade up to end her. Even in his last moments, still filth. She... didn't want to think too much about dying right now, but whenever she faced that. She wanted to go out better. Not like that.
The executioner's blade fell towards her, a great screaming arc of silver death that would easily split her from head to toe.
A spray of blood.
The blade gouged the earth, clattering uselessly against the cold ground.
"You're right."
Both hands held tight against the handle of her blade, the slender steel piercing his heart, her head almost against his chest as she felt the life seep from the standing corpse.
"Just not today."
Stepping back and simultaneously ripping the blade out of his heart, Kisaragi swung it hard, slicing through the air, cutting through the blood coating it. Not willing to pollute it with cursed memories. The Lycian collapsed like a puppet whose strings had been cut, empty eyes staring at her before gravity pulled his face downward to the earth from when he came and where he would now return.
"May your life's blood bring forth new life to atone for your sins," she stated coolly, quoting a Sacaen dirge before sheathing her blade. No more monsters. No more fighting.
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Post by Mizuyuki on Jun 5, 2017 14:39:56 GMT -6
She had a good style. A strong stroke. A clean slice. Mizuyuki clasped his blade's hilt quietly with his palm. Fingers coiling around it for a brief second. If only brief, he felt a sudden quickening of his pulse. It was at the brief moment when he saw the male's corpse twitch that he felt the urge. The desire to strike at his corpse with merciless fury to ensure he did in-fact die was a singular thought that raced through his entire being. The Sacaen however realized it must've been a brief convulsion at his instant death. It was not uncommon for swiftly slain corpses to twitch as if alive for a few seconds. Sometimes even wild flails.
His body laxed a moment later. He leaned forwards and started to take slow steps towards the female Sacaen. His hand resting on his blade's hilt out of comfort now. His shoulders rose and fell steadily. After all, he was not without his exertions, and he had still performed a fairly intensive maneuver. He was knowledgeable of, and trained in every technique within his tribe's blade-work. He could not though maintain using multiple. His endurance had to be heightened yet. Performing two techniques in succession was enough to leave him ever so slightly winded, and since he'd not been adequately prepared for this encounter he was a bit further taxed.
At-least...with form III. Form I was not meant for repeated motions, and I can manage Form II fairly well. However with the repeated strikes and pacing of Form III I must learn to better conserve my stamina...
Mizuyuki paused. Turning to the female while tilting his head aside. His gaze first went to her blade. Curiously looking over it before he spoke to her directly. His tone measured and his expression somewhat impassive.
"Your name is..Kisaragi yes? That was impressive prowess you demonstrated. Your technique and form are remarkable for one so young."
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Kisaragi
Myrmidon
Posts: 66
Affinity: Thunder
Profile: Kisaragi
OoC Alias: Nayru
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Post by Kisaragi on Jun 5, 2017 21:34:32 GMT -6
Aside from the frustration about needing help from Mizu with the Doog, Kisaragi was feeling pretty good about her part in all this. Not great. She had been too late to save the woman, she had needed help, and in the end all she'd really done against the swordsman was just finish him off. But at the same time, at least compared to what she had experienced before this, it felt like it was the kind of challenge she COULD handle, in time, with a bit more training. The journey from Sacae had been rife with wondering if she wasn't out of her depth entirely. And while it was true that she still obviously needed work - it was the kind of goal she could at least understand and try to follow through on.
Mizu seemed a little out of breath if she gauged his motion right, but otherwise pretty much unharmed... whereas she was both out of breath, a bit battered physically, and some of her clothing torn and would need minor repairs. Not exactly unscathed on her end. Though he still seemed like the typical stoic Sacaen that... honestly tended to drive her crazy, she was a bit too emotional for that, but for now she could handle it. Brushing a stray lock of hair out of her eyes, standing as straight as she could, trying not to portray weakness. "Thank you." Thank you... man with no name. She actually had no idea what he was called, did she? Dammit.
"Though nothing compared to what I saw from you. And... thank you again for saving me. Dying on a beast's fangs would have been a pretty shitty ending." She chuckled, or at least it started off as a chuckle and turned into a cough real fast when her side twinged. "I'd uh, challenge you to a sparring match to try and learn from your form, but that'd be an insult to you given my condition now. You were... the swordsman that showed up when I met Ito and Asri, right? What brings you here?"
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Post by Mizuyuki on Jun 6, 2017 12:36:33 GMT -6
Mizuyuki's head bowed curtly at her thanks. His pulse returning to normal and breathing steadying out quite easily before he nodded towards her in earnest. His gaze shifted towards the corpse of the formerly alive Lycian Merc. that had sought to exploit the local people for his own gain. "You are welcome." She did seem to realize the severity of the situation. Not that it was difficult to understand. Beasts were deadly indeed. Both natural, and unnatural. The Sacaen swordsman knew at this point that there was no use overly dwelling on what would have been though was there?
"I would not say such. Though I've developed my prowess over many years, I believe by the time you reach my age you will be beyond the point I am at now. If not further." It wasn't a lie. He'd been reserved to his tribe's home for most of his time training. Refining the skill of his blade and fighting enemies of the plains could only improve himself so far. She had seemed to be a skilled individual, but also had the benefit of traveling at a younger age than He. To say he believed that she'd go further than him was most likely observing a simple truth in reality. Though he was certain she might not've seen it. It was easy to miss your own prowess at its full length. You could not see yourself. You could not observe yourself from an exterior perspective to see your form. You could only feel it.
"Mizuyuki looked to the moon for a moment. Reflecting on the meeting she spoke of. "When you are rested, and feel yourself at a sound state of mind and health, we may spar. Though it may take many bouts for you to learn the forms of my tribe. It is not just one. Though...you are correct. I was was near when the discussion with the blood-clad boy by the river took place."
He descended his gaze back to Kisaragi as she inquired his presence. She was the type that could be trusted. He had met her twice. He could tell, by their interactions. Even if she could not be, what harm was there in speaking of his search to her? She had nothing to gain by impeding him. "I seek the Crimson Demon of Sacae. I am searching, for Kenshin." Speaking it somehow made him feel more confident in his goal's completion as a likely outcome. Though he was not sure why.
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Kisaragi
Myrmidon
Posts: 66
Affinity: Thunder
Profile: Kisaragi
OoC Alias: Nayru
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Post by Kisaragi on Jun 6, 2017 14:54:45 GMT -6
He didn't look THAT old compared to her. Early 20s or so she wanted to say, maybe mid. So it was hard to tell if he had actually been doing things for THAT many years or if he was just being humble. There was also the possibility that he had also been that much better than her whenever he was 16, which didn't really help her self-esteem much, but hey everyone had to start somewhere. And she was pretty well used to everyone she actually liked being infinitely better than her at swording, so what was one more soul-crushing loss?
Ha... ha... anyways. "Well. Maybe." She looked down to the corpse-human, the one who had organized this. "I've still got a lot of work to do though." No selling that short, tonight had definitely made it clear that her journey was still a long one. Which was fine. She had already known that. But it didn't hurt to be reminded that no matter how much she thought she was hot crap, there was always improvement to be had. "Though..." She looked back up to Mizuyuki, resolute in her certainty even if it was a kinda stupid thing to say, "I don't want to just copy your forms. They're yours, not mine. I just want to learn more about how you fight and see what I can apply to myself. I'm never going to be better at being you than you are, but I can definitely learn from you nonetheless if you'll let me."
She... hoped that didn't come across as insulting, like 'lol forms are for gaylords' or anything. But it came back to her... the nice way of putting it was stubbornness, she decided. A less charitable version might be 'braindead retardation.' Whatever the wording, it was born from her desire not to simply BE someone else. She had spent her life surrounded by people who were better at combat than her. Father, her friend, father's friends - renowned swordsmen and natural born geniuses. But she didn't want to just be them, and as much of a badass as Mizu was, she didn't want to just jack his fighting style. It was his. Not hers. And it wasn't right to try to take it from him. But that didn't mean she couldn't learn.
"Kenshin though, huh? The Crimson Demon." Pretty much every Sacaen alive had at least heard of the legendary swordsman. Hard NOT to when he was seen as the premiere example of what all Sacaens should strive for. And pretty damn good with a sword. Kisaragi bit her lip in a moment of uncharacteristic uncertainty, then made her decision with her more typical severity and speed and refocused on Mizuyuki. "Mind if I tag along? Could be interesting to meet him. And we both apparently have a knack for running into trouble, so it'd be good training. Even aside from the sparring."
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Post by Mizuyuki on Jun 6, 2017 15:41:50 GMT -6
It was a rare thing. If not the rarest thing lately. His lips twitched, a fraction of his right lip moving into a smile just barely visible enough to be noticed. The dark haired swordsman nodding as she spoke of her desire for learning. Why she wanted to learn, and how she wanted to learn. If he said he wasn't impressed by her answer he'd be telling a blatant lie. "That was very well said. You are correct to develop your own style. Though what I meant was many sessions before you've become familiar with them visually. Not precisely intended to learn the moves themselves, but recognize. They teach a style that involves dancing between four forms, and transitioning techniques from one form into those of another. The most skilled were able to dance with fluid movements, and wove every possible combination of techniques from all four forms. It made actually differentiating the forms nearly impossible for outsiders."
It was his goal. The penultimate expression of skill. To dance with blade in hand so seamlessly that it all blended into one murderous form that could flawlessly handle situations any of the four themselves would've been applicable towards. Mizuyuki was still many many miles from that single point. He knew it, and did not attempt to hide it. Most were seasoned warriors by the time they got to the caliber of skill required to be considered such a masterful blade dancer. Though Kisaragi's question did prompt him to incline an eyebrow, Mizuyuki was quick to respond. No real thought need be put into the answer after all. "I would not mind at all if you joined me. It may perhaps make the road a bit less quiet. I am used to traveling with a tribe on the plains, not traveling on dirt roads or cobblestone streets through small towns where people seem to distrust all outsiders."
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Kisaragi
Myrmidon
Posts: 66
Affinity: Thunder
Profile: Kisaragi
OoC Alias: Nayru
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Post by Kisaragi on Jun 10, 2017 0:00:55 GMT -6
Heh. So he COULD smile. Apparently they were both pretty bad Sacaens then, on account of having a sense of humor and all that. Next thing you know they'd both be cracking jokes and dancing, and then they'd start a circus troupe. And then she'd probably have to commit ritual suicide because that was the Sacaen thing to do. The irony of even joking about mocking Sacaen culture for a Sacaen who was not ashamed of that fact was... not lost on Kisaragi, nor the fact that she did still respect the emotional control that was typical of Sacaen warriors. But that didn't mean they couldn't poke fun at themselves once in a while. Taking yourself too seriously, at least on matters outside of swording, was a ticket to smarmy bullshit.
At any rate, seemed like Mizuyuki hadn't been too insulted by her words. Which was, uh, good. Better than swording HER anyways. Admittedly she didn't know too much about the four forms he spoke of - Father only had one form, and her style was equal parts reactive to the opponent and using a mix of her own moves strung together in ideal ways; not really a form so much of a toolbox to pick between. In theory anyways. She was... still working on that toolbox. "I see. We'll see if my eyes are as fast as my mouth then." The smol Sacaen grinned at the older one, far less repressed than he and still riding a bit of the adrenaline of victory. Granted, this hadn't exactly been a perfect night. But it was a start to greater things, hopefully.
Well, that or getting garroted and/or murdered, if Kenshin actually was as bloodthirsty as some of the rumors said.
But hey, what was life without a little risk? "Well, I'm probably not sleeping much more tonight. Little company would be nice before I go stir crazy. Better a crazy dog lady than a crazy cat lady, I guess, but... not by much. Can head out whenever you're ready."
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Post by Mizuyuki on Jun 14, 2017 16:08:30 GMT -6
Kisaragi. She was unique for a woman of the plains. He'd never quite met a Sacaen like her and none could really compare to her, and he'd met quite a few Sacaens. She certainly stood out. An impressive trait to have. As the brown haired male rested his palm upon his blade he listened to her tone. Dwelling upon it and quietly analyzing. She was certainly unique compared to most people of the plains in her personality. Yes, that was a fact, but why? Had she perhaps grown up differently? What precisely in her environment led to such a striking contrast in development to the normal female Sacaen. He didn't necessarily mind it however. She had a particular fire he'd not seen before in one so young. His smile slowly faded to a very faint grin, as Mizuyuki's mirth receded and he returned to his normal expressionless self. The male's head pivoted to the side, tilting slightly as she spoke of her stir craziness.
"I imagine sleeping tonight would be unwise. Until we are sure of the entire extermination of near by threats. Though I confess, I find hounds more appealing than felines. So I find this prospect agreeable. Since you are ready however, I would sooner be gone of this place. So far, Lycians seem to exude greed and distrustful intentions when ever I encounter them. Through poor luck or a general norm of their society I can say not, but that does not change its validity as a predicament. "
Mizuyuki quietly took a few steps past her and made for a silent departure from the sleepy Lycian town. Caelin was no doubt going to be far more hospitable once they reached more secure places. Those..existed here hopefully. Then again, he'd find a way. He always did..
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